Lok Sabha Speaker rejects Congress’ demand of Leader of Opposition

New Delhi: In a major jolt to the Congress party, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Tuesday refused to give the Leader of Opposition (LoP) post to the party by saying that they do not have the mandatory 10 percent seats in the Lower House required for the post.

"I have gone by rules and tradition," she said on her decision not to recongnise the Congress leader in Lok Sabha as the Leader of the Opposition.

The Speaker's decision rejecting the Congress demand has been conveyed in a letter to the Congress party. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had written to Mahajan seeking the status of the Leader of Opposition to Mallikarjun Kharge who is the party's group leader in the House.

The Speaker had also taken the opinion of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who had said that Congress does not have the numbers so that its floor leader can be granted the status of Leader of Opposition.

Congress is the second largest group in the Lok Sabha with 44 seats after BJP's 282 and has been insisting that it should be given the status of Leader of Opposition.

However, citing rules, the Speaker has conveyed to the Congress that she was not in a position to give the party Leader of Opposition status because it fell short of the minimum 55 seats required for staking claim to the post.

Mahajan is also believed to have cited the precedents in 1980 and 1984 when there was no recognised Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.

The Leader of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament enjoys the status of a Cabinet Minister.

Congress with 44 seats is the second largest party in Lok Sabha

There was no Leader of Opposition in 1980 and 1984

LoP in both the Houses of Parliament enjoys the status of a Cabinet Minister

Congress has been insisting that it should be given the status of LoP

Reacting to the decision, Kharge said he would consult Congress high command and the AICC legal cell before giving his opinion.

"Being recognised as Leader of the Opposition is one thing and functioning as floor leader is another," he said.